Holly & Karl
Holly & Karl married at the beautiful Bendooley Estate in the Southern Highlands, surrounded by their family, friends and special guest and fur baby, Jett. Their wedding vibe was fun yet casual and romantic which they definitely nailed. There was so much personality Holly & Karl infused into their wedding day and I’m so honoured I got to tell their story.
Holly and Karl have shared some of their wisdom below.
How did you find the wedding planning process?
From the get-go of wedding planning, we knew what vendors we wanted to use, so I think the most challenging part for us was making sure our vendors had the same availability as our venue. The vendors we picked in the lead-up to the wedding made it stress-free!
What female doesn't have 20 Pinterest boards set up with wedding inspo? Haha! In all honesty, though, Pinterest and Instagram are great to search for the styles you and your fiance like and don't like. Doing this made it easy to provide inspo to our florists, styling, hair and makeup and set realistic expectations for your budget.
What were some of your favourite wedding details and why you chose them?
The Stables at Bendooley is such a beautiful venue. We were happy to keep details minimal in keeping with the rustic surrounds. We wanted to support small businesses where we could, so a lot of our styling either came from Etsy or had friends and family make items for us.
What's some of the key stand out moments you will cherish forever?
A key stand out moment for us was our Celebrant, Adam Straney, suggesting we pick some important people to sign as witnesses to our marriage. As a surprise, we each chose our grandmothers. Tim captured the surprise and looking back on our video, it's such a beautiful moment.
What were your thoughts when you watched your wedding film for the first time?
WE LOVED IT!
A video full of emotions, we laughed, we cried and I'm not going to lie, we watch our video at least once a week now. We love it just as much now as we did watching it for the first time.
Let’s chat about your vendors, how did they all do?
Above Below Visuals – of course! (We knew Tim was good, but he was better than good) so much so, that Karl and I are finding ways to get Tim to capture more special moments in our lives. We are in awe and completely blown away at the quality of work Tim created for us. His ability to capture all the special moments on our day in keeping with our personalities made the video, completely us.
Matt Ashton Photography – Honestly, Matt made us feel so comfortable. The boys vibing with us on the day also made for some fun photos!
Bendooley – Such an incredible venue! Everyone was professional and great to work with. Everything ran smoothly on the day and I couldn't fault a single thing.
Adam Straney Master of Ceremony – (Civil celebrant and MC) (Bride) I had known Adam for about seven years after he married my brother. Adam is so much fun! He takes the time to get to know his couples, he's a top bloke and doesn't take things too seriously.
Pawz & Me (Pet Assistants) We "ummed" and ahhd" about including our Dog, Jett, on our special day. We're so glad we did! With a love for big and small animals, the Pawz and Me team made us feel completely comfortable choosing them to assist with Jett on the day. They had great packages available, pick up and drop off and dressing him on the day – it was one less stress to think about.
What would you say to couples who are on the fence about booking a videographer for their wedding?
I would absolutely suggest booking a videographer. It's sooo worth it!
After seeing the work that Tim at Above Below Visuals can create there was no hesitation from us.
Words of wisdom for future couples looking to create an epic wedding experience?
Weddings are expensive, it’s so important that you and your partner are both on the same page.
Have a think about what it is that you both want, your expectations of the day, budget and guest numbers.
If you have friends or family who have recently been married, talk to them about planning. Ask if there’s anything they would do differently or wish they included. You’ll have a good indication on what’s worth it and what’s not and videography is one of those things that is definitely worth it!
Vendors:
Photographer: Matt Ashton Photography
Celebrant: Adam Straney
Venue: Bendooley Estate
Florist: Ivy Lane Collective
Make Up Artist: Make Up By Samantha Jane
Hair Stylist: Hair Lueur by Kat Kearney
Dress Designer: Rachel Rose Bridal
Bridal Boutique: Penrith Bridal
DJ: XYDJ
Pet Care Services: Pawz & Me
We have so many words to express just how wonderful and perfect our wedding day was thanks to Tim at Above Below Visuals! We felt so comfortable on the day being completely ourselves. We really appreciated him acknowledging letting us take the time to just be in the moment with each other and it shows in our video. One talented man! - Karl and Holly
Photo Credit: Matt Ashton Photography